Pancakes are definitely a breakfast food, although I occasionally have them for dinner just to mix things up. I typically serve them with butter, fruit and maple syrup, depending on what kind of pancakes I’m whipping up. The most recent batch of pancakes I made was inspired by campfire s’mores and are stacked up with chocolate and marshmallows – which made me wonder if I should be serving these for dessert instead of just for breakfast!

These S’mores Pancakes are definitely indulgent, as far as pancakes go, but they are oh-so-good and anyone who is a fan of the combination of toasted marshmallows, graham crackers and chocolate that goes into a s’more is sure to get a big kick out of these. They’re essentially pancakes that have been transformed into a breakfast s’more. The pancakes are enriched with graham cracker crumbs, which gives them a mild graham flavor that is highlighted with a touch of cinnamon. They’re cooked like “regular” pancakes on a griddle, until they are puffed and golden, before they are transformed.

I took the finished pancakes and placed them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. I topped them off with fluffy marshmallows and coarsely chopped dark chocolate, then slid the baking sheet under the broiler to toast the marshmallows. Then, I stacked the pancakes together and served them with more chocolate and maple syrup (although chocolate syrup would be an even more decadent choice). I stacked my s’mores pancakes three high, so I left the marshmallows off every third pancake. If you want to stick to two pancake stacks, leave every second pancake without topping.

The pancakes have enough graham cracker in them to give the s’mores a balanced flavor of graham crackers, chocolate and marshmallow. The pancakes are also not too sweet on their own, so they’re a great base for the rest of the dish. The toasted marshmallows are warm, gooey and hold the pancake stacks together. The dark chocolate melts a little bit under the broiler and cuts the sweetness of the marshmallows and syrup surprisingly well. I’m not going to replace regular buttermilk pancakes with these every day (though you could eat the graham cracker pancakes without the marshmallow filling anytime), but they are a fantastic way to satisfy a sweet tooth in the morning.

In a food processor, pulverize the graham crackers until they are crushed into very fine crumbs. Add in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon and pulse until well combined.
In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, buttermilk and vanilla extract. Stir in the flour mixture until pancake batter is well combined and has a very slightly lumpy texture.
Heat a large nonstick pan or griddle to medium-high heat, and wait until the surface is hot enough that a drop of water skitters around the pan when dropped onto it (if the water evaporates immediately, the pan is too hot). Dollop batter onto pan and cook until golden, then flip and cook the second side until golden. Pancakes can be made any size, I aim for 4-5 inches across. Cook all the pancakes (approximately a dozen 4-5 inch pancakes) and set aside on a cooling rack.
Preheat the broiler.
Arrange 2/3 of the pancakes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cut marshmallows in half and arrange evenly on top of the pancakes. Top each with about 1/2-oz dark chocolate.
Slide tray under the broiler and cook until marshmallows are toasted, about 1-2 minutes. When they are toasted, immediately stack them up 3 high, topping two marshmallow pancakes with a plain pancake.
Serve immediately, topped with remaining chocolate and maple or chocolate syrup.